


An Unlikely Friendship

by winterwolf212



Category: Captain America (Movies), Community (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Dorks in Love, F/M, Friendship, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:47:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24769519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwolf212/pseuds/winterwolf212
Summary: Bucky becomes friends with a VA volunteer and Steve doesn't like it.Abed works at SHIELD and can't quite remember why he's in Washington, but he has a new friend to watch movies with though, so it's fine.
Relationships: Annie Edison/Abed Nadir, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 19
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

Steve had been pretty hard-headed about visiting the VA but Bucky has been surprisingly eager to attend the sessions under Sam. After a few forlorn looks from Bucky he has given in and is now standing awkwardly in the hallway. 

He looked around and shuffled his feet, Steve felt ridiculous for being more nervous stepping into a room full of vets than in attacking a HYDRA base. 

Steve told himself he'll just take a look around and leave any time he wants to. So he squared his shoulders and quietly slipped into the room. It was a fairly large room, quite spacious and the only one who noticed his entry was Bucky with his enhanced hearing. They shared a small smile before they turned towards the speaker.

It was an older lady, she spoke of seeing an IED explode underneath her team. How the survivors tried to crawl to safety but got killed under enemy fire, she was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape alive with all her limbs intact. The dame said that every time she closed her eyes, the visions of their death would flash behind her eyelids. She has had trouble sleeping ever since.

"There's not a day in my life that I haven't remembered that moment. When I go on for long hours spending time with my family, happy and surrounded by laughter, I feel like I don't deserve it."

Steve felt her sorrow and pain from across the room. Sam went stood up after she was done to speak a few words of strength and encouragement. Steve observed Bucky's face, he looked both focused on the discussion and unsure, still as uncomfortable in his own skin as Steve. 

He must have zoned out as Sam was dismissing the veterans and scheduling their next session. Steve steadily approached and noticed Bucky talking with a tall skinny man of middle eastern descent. 

This was the first time he'd seen Bucky so relaxed talking with another person in so long. Steve tuned into what they were saying and to much of his dismay, couldn't understand a thing. 

"Batman is a master in hand-to-hand combat and has superhuman level of strength and agility, he's also known as the world's greatest detective. He's a genius and can speak multiple different languages." 

Steve was confused, who is Batman and why wasn't he informed of this superhuman's existence. 

Bucky greeted him once he got close enough, "Hey Steve, this is my friend Abed. Abed this is my childhood friend Steve." 

"Nice to meet you." Steve held out his hand for a handshake. Abed looked at his hand for a few seconds, Steve felt a stirrimg of embarrassment, handshakes aren't really much of a thing anymore in informal settings according to Natasha, but old habits die hard. Abed nodded to himself before accepting his hand in a quick firm shake.

"Nice to meet you too Steve." Abed replied.

"Abed here was just telling me about his favorite superhero." Bucky explained. "What was his name again, Barter--"

"Batman." Abed quickly corrected. 

"I've never heard of him." Steve said.

"Bucky said the same thing. I didn't know there are actually people out there who haven't heard about Batman until you guys." 

"Is he an Avenger?" Steve asked politely.

"No. He's part of the Justice League." Doesn't ring a bell.

Abed turned to Bucky. "I have a special edition The Dark Knight DVD with commentary back home. We can go see it."

"Sure. I'd like that." Bucky smiled.

Steve is unsure about what just happened. He was about to ask when Sam joined in. "I see you've met Abed." He clapped the man's shoulder. "He's a volunteer here in the VA, been working for a few weeks now. How's it been Abed?"

"Insightful. As a student of human character I've learned a lot of things about grief." Abed said with a finger in the air and raised eyebrows.

Steve could tell there was something different about Abed. He doesn't know what but it's making him uncomfortable. 

"When do you want to watch The Dark Knight?" Bucky asked.

"Whenever you're free."

"How about tomorrow?" 

"Cool. Cool, cool, cool." Then with in a gravely lower pitched voice Abed adds. "See you then." He runs to the doors with his arm hovered in front of his chest as if holding a piece of cloth. "I'm Batman." 

Steve stared after him with a raised eyebrow. 

"Abed's pretty special. I'm glad you're hanging out with him Bucky." Sam said after Abed's gone.

"Yeah, he's great, the last couple of weeks I've been catching up on what I missed with him." 

Steve frowned at that. He expected that since they're both supersoldiers out of time that Bucky would choose to spend time with him more than with other people. He doesn't know how to feel about this new development.

"Who's Batman?" He asked Sam.

* * *

Steve can't quite shake the feeling of wrongness and decided to approach Natasha in the SHIELD gym. "Hey Nat, can I ask for a favor?" 

She looks up from her stretching position on the ground. "Sure what is it?" Natasha shifts into a split.

"I want you to look in on some information obout someone."

Her hands easily touched her foot and she replies, "Easy. Got a name?"

"Abed, no last name, he's a volunteer at the VA where Sam works." 

"Terrorist?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, Bucky's new friend." 

Both her eyebrows raised, "Okay. Why can't you ask Bucky yourself?" The look in her eyes saying Bucky is a master in covert espionage and intelligence gathering, if Abed's a threat to national security, he would know.

"He's off to watch a movie with Abed." Her face shifted into a knowing expression. 

"I get it now." She heaved herself up and started to walk away. "I'll do it. Expect it in a couple of hours." 

"Thank you." He calls after her like the polite boy he is and she waves him away.

Steve feels guilty for going behind his friends back and doing this but something in his gut is telling him something's not right with Abed.

His gut instincts were right when Natasha comes by in the afternoon to tell him that Abed is a graduate of Greendale Community College, moved to Washington, lives alone in a two bedroom apartment and he volunteered in the VA to learn more about people and how they cope with grief. 

Natasha gave him a pointed look when he stayed silent through the whole spiel.

"He also works as a comms technician in SHIELD."

"I knew it, there's something wrong with him." Steve said. 

"Actually Steve we didn't find anything. He's clean."

"But he works at SHIELD!" 

"And so do you." 

When Steve stayed stubborn she crossed her arms, "You know what Steve I'll be truthful, I think you're jealous Bucky has decided to spend his free time somewhere else instead of with you." 

Steve felt his blood rushing to his cheeks. "I'm not, there's something wrong with that guy, I can tell." He defended himself.

Natasha gave him a deadpan look before shaking her head.

"You and the rest of the world can tell Steve. Abed has a developmental disorder, it's undiagnosed but many sources believe he has Asperger's Syndrome."

Steve looked confused. "What?" 

"I know it's well after your time Steve, so I've sent a packet detailing the D.S.M. and Asperger's Syndrome in your SHIELD tablet. I hope you read through them, for your own sake."

With those parting words she turned and walked away. Steve looked at the floor and contemplated, he heaved a sigh and decided to retreat back to his SHIELD issued apartment where he had left his tablet, relatively unused, on the coffee table.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :]

"So what have you guys been up to?" Steve asked nonchalantly while biting into a large sub sandwich. The SHIELD cafeteria at this time of day isn't as busy with only a few SHIELD employees milling about.

"We binged through Cougar Town." Bucky replied around his own sandwich. Another reference Steve will have to look up.

"We started watching Disney movies last week, Snow White is pretty good." He shrugged and took a sip of soda. "Were going to start watching Star Wars next month."

Steve perked up, "Star Wars? I think that's on the list." He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small notepad.

"Cool." Bucky said and Steve felt awkward holding his notepad.

"You think I can hang out and watch with you guys?" Steve tried to keep his voice steady and not let it creep into pleading.

Bucky took his time to chew and swallow. He looked at his sandwich and said a simple, "I'll ask him if it's fine." 

Steve nodded, he could tell Bucky has already taken Abed under his wing. Similar to their friendship almost a century ago. It feels unsettling, to be on the outside looking in. 

Steve has been reading. He felt bad for labelling Abed as something wrong for something he has no control over. He's been rather curious how Bucky and Abed's dynamic works ever since, why Bucky would feel a kinship with the man and not Steve with their shared experiences.

It still didn't explain the awful feeling in his gut, it wasn't the sandwich, but something else he can't put his finger on. 

He later decided to tell Natasha, his unofficial therapist, she might know what he's feeling.

"You're jealous. You're wondering why Bucky is spending all his time with someone else." She said tonelessly.

"Steve, you've dedicated the last couple of months to finding this man, to help him rehabilitate, and to heal him." She looked at him with searching eyes.

"You're hoping he'll go back to the old Bucky, the Bucky you knew before you fell. I know it's hard for you, because you slept through most of history and woke up the same man." She waved a hand over his apartment, it was a mixture of old and new designs, mainly old. The new technology was dusted and untouched in the corner.

"You've held on to the bygone era for comfort and tried to ignore what's here in the present. Bucky doesn't, he couldn't... Because he was there, he even had a hand in changing the course of history and he's come out different. He's not the same Bucky, and the sooner you realize that Steve the better."

She pursed her lips. "Giving him space to grow and heal is a good step Steve. Stop being so stubborn."

"I understand."

* * *

Bucky munched on a handful of popcorn. He watched in contentment as Aurora sings about a man she met once upon a dream, the look in their eyes so familiar. 

He allowed his mind to wonder, to remember the bright blue eyes from another lifetime, so stubborn and headstrong... And still so incredibly stubborn. 

_I know you._

_I walked with you once upon a dream._

_I know you._

The song is full of romantic young fantasies and yet the words are so haunting it echoes in his brain.

_And I know it's true._

_That visions are seldom all they seem._

He frowns as images of calloused hands and tousled blonde hair flash through his mind. Soft pale skin and nights spent huddled together for warmth. Breaths mingling and hands wandering.

_But if I know you, I know what you'll do._

_You'll love me at once._

_The way you did once upon a dream._

Bucky exhales a shaky breath as the blood rush to his face. 

The sound and image froze. 

"You need a moment." Abed said in his usual matter-of-fact tone. Bucky didn't realize he was breathing harshly until that moment.

Bucky could feel Abed standing up and leaving the couch. He tried to control his breathing and counting to ten in his mind.

By the time Abed came back he was mostly calmed down, the man handed him a cup of special drink, which was explained to be hot cocoa mix poured in cold milk.

"Thanks." He takes a sip and enjoyed the chocolate taste on his tongue.

They sat in contemplative silence for a few moments. 

"You know there's a live version adaptation of Sleeping Beauty." Abed broke the silence.

Bucky blinked. "What does that even mean?" He asks.

"It means Disney has run out of ideas and decided to milk it's successful franchises by remaking old Disney classics from the Disney Renaissance era into live action soulless versions of it." Abed stares at him imploringly before turning back to the screen. 

"The only outlier so far is Maleficent. The Sleeping Beauty adaptation in a different name and protagonist. The plot is--"

Bucky let's Abed ramble on. This is why he enjoys spending time with the guy, he remains relatively unfazed by just about anything. 

Abed is silent again after spending the last twenty minutes talking about Maleficent. 

Bucky decided to take this moment to ask. "Would it be alright with you if I invite my friend Steve to watch Star Wars with us?"

Without hesitation Abed shrugged, "Sure." Of course he'd agree, Bucky is the one who's hesitating.

It's not that he doesn't want to spend time with his childhood friend, it's just that he can see the hope in Steve's eyes. Hope that one day he'll wake up and be the Bucky he was before. But to be perfectly frank he can barely even remember that person let alone be him.

Bucky hates seeing the disappointment clouding Steve's eyes whenever he does something that isn't Bucky. To say something that Bucky never would. 

"Abed can I tell you a secret?" He looked over. 

"Sure." Abed mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

"I don't like Bucky." He said.

Abed tilted his head and his brows drew together in confusion. After a few seconds he asks. "But, aren't you Bucky?"

"I'm not!" He replied vehemently.

Abed twitched and slowly inched away. Bucky felt bad until Abed started shouting, "Get away Blorgon scum!"

"No Abed! Not like that." Bucky held his hands up in the air slowly to calm him down. Once Abed settled back in his position he explained.

"What I mean is. Steve expects me to act like the Bucky he knows from childhood, but I'm not that Bucky anymore."

"Then who are you?" 

Bucky stared at the frozen screen, "I don't know who I am. I just know that I am not Bucky."

"Do you want me to call you something else?" 

Bucky paused, if this was anybody other than Abed he would have thought he was being sarcastic, but this is Abed, so he contemplated for a few minutes. 

Abed stood up again and went to the kitchen, Bucky could hear the clanging of pots and pans. He knew Abed was giving him time to think it through and he was grateful. 

A new name. The thought was sounding better and better by the second. He's not Bucky, he never will be and he doesn't want to be. 

"James." He said softly, then again in a louder voice. "Call me James." 

James smiled and nodded to himself.

"Here James, eat this." Abed hands him a bowl of buttered noodles. Taking the bowl James felt lighter than he had in months. They both ate the noodles in companionable silence for a few minutes.

Swallowing a mouthful of pasta Abed turned to him, "You know in College, I had this diverse ragtag group of friends, like in Breakfast Club; if the breakfast club included senior citizens, divorced single mothers, former anarchists, ex-drug addicts and ex-lawyers. Then yeah, exactly like Breakfast Club."

James was glad they watched Breakfast Club a few weeks ago, Abed liked to use them as reference.

"Point is in one episode they tried to change me to attract this girl who drew me in her textbook that I bought second-hand, turns out it wasn't me but her boyfriend, a white Abed named Joey."

"What was your point again?" James interrupted.

"Point is they tried to change me to fit in." James opened his mouth to retort but Abed shook his head. 

"Not for them, they already accepted me. For a girl." James made a sound of understanding. "In the end they didn't need to, because let's face it, girls love me."

James smirked, he knew how that felt, Abed looked at his bowl of buttered noodles. "They asked me why I allowed it."

"I told them when you really know who you are and what you like about yourself, changing for others isn't such a big deal." 

Abed gave him a small smile and he returned it. With a serious face Abed pointed a finger at him and continued. "But you don't know who you are and what you like about yourself. You should work on finding yourself before you try to change it."

James snorted, "Best advice I've received all year."

James nodded first at himself then at Abed. "Thanks bud, now let's finish this movie."

* * *

Steve approached the hunching figure with his tray, he purposely appeared in his line of vision before taking a seat on one of the plastic cafeteria chairs. "So Bucky, what did he say?" 

"It's James." Came the garbled reply with a mouthful of food.

"What?" Steve furrowed his brows.

James chewed quickly and swallowed. "My name is James. Don't call me Bucky anymore."

Steve is taken aback. "Why?"

James met his eyes. "Because I'm not Bucky and I don't want to be."

Steve couldn't breath, he felt the words he was about to say stuck in his throat. He remembered what Natasha said and swallowed.

"I understand James. But also please understand this won't be quick or easy for me to get used to."

"That's fine."

James huffed and smirked, "He said you can come watch with us."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve hangs out with the boys.

Steve wasn't sure what he expected, but he guessed it would entail a little bit more than just sitting in silence for many hours. Bucky- James had already told him about the 'no talking' rule, and that the only exception was Abed who babbled every now and then during the movie. 

Steve spent almost half the time observing James. He looks contented and relaxed on the couch, enjoying Star Wars and eating popcorn. He was always brooding in the SHIELD cafeteria, his shoulders were always tensed, his eyes constantly looking for the nearest exit. It's nice to see him enjoying himself for once.

It was during a small break between movies that they moved to the kitchen as Abed regales them about the time he was Han Solo. 

"It was awesome. There was a lot of betrayal, drama, orange paint and kissing Annie." 

Steve observed how Abed's face minutely twitched and frowned at the mention of kissing some woman before lighting up again as he talked about how they won against City College.

"This school of yours sounds fantastical." He said.

"Oh it's not. We gave a dog a degree."

Steve slowly nodded, it still sounded pretty fantastical. 

"What did you go to college for?" Steve asked, curious. Bucky- James is off to the side making special drink.

"Started off with business to take over my father's falafel business but switched to film to pursue my dreams." Abed replied with a finger in the air pointing every which way.

Steve blinked, "Then why are you working at SHIELD?" James swiveled his head to look at them. 

"And how'd you know that Steve?" James asked pointedly with a raised eyebrow.

Steve fumbled and shrugged, "I may have asked Natasha." He answered hesitantly.

"Steve." Bucky- James called his name in a reprimanding tone.

"It's okay James, I expected as much, it's not a surprise." Abed waved it away calmly and James relaxed.

"But to answer your question Steve. I don't know." 

Now even James was looking befuddled at the middle-eastern man. Abed stared at the counter for a few moments and the two supersoldiers waited patiently.

"My best friend told me to follow my heart. Which I translated as to doing what I really wanted to do at that time." He gave them a knowing look. "Which apparently involved moving to Washington."

"Then how did you end up at SHIELD?" James asked.

"I saw an ad." 

"Ah." 

Abed made a popping sound with his mouth and pointed at them, "Part two? Part two? Part two?"

* * *

"I never imagined you'd be doing this." Steve lightly said.

"I never imagined you'd do this either." James shot back as he propped more pillows against the wall. 

"The left flank needs more stability, pass me that square cushion." Steve ordered with his hand open for retrieval and James complied.

Abed crawled by and inspected their construction. He nodded and moved on to the main head of operations, the living room, and Steve could see him carefully arrange the pillow cushions in front of the TV. 

"What kind of community college did he go to?" Steve whispered and Bucky- James turned to him to reply, "He said it was an awful one that allowed large scale blanket forts on the premises. Twice."

Steve shook his head, he was starting to wonder if this fantastical 'Greendale Community College' even existed. A phone went off and the supersoldiers both zeroed in on the location after a second. 

The living room. 

Abed picked it up and they could hear him answer. "Hey Troy."

"Abed! How are you man? I missed you." Their enhanced hearing easily picked up the male voice from the phone.

"I'm doing fine Troy, how's Greendale?" 

"Greendale is Greendale. Starburns tried to fake his death again, Jeff and Britta are doing that weird sexual tension thing and it's freaking out Frankie, City College tried to sabotage the glee club, we let that one happen. Oh and I finally sold Pierce's mansion!"

"Congratulations Troy, when is your mansion going to be finished?"

Steve and James shared equal twin looks of confusion.

"Sometime at the end of the year. What about you? How's Annie?" 

Twice now Steve heard the woman named Annie and like puzzle pieces it's all coming together when he heard Abed reply. "I haven't seen her yet."

"What?! Abed it's been months and you haven't even talked to her?"

"I've been busy."

"With what?"

"Work and I volunteer on the weekends."

There was an audible sigh. "Abed, why are you in Washington?" 

A few moments passed and Abed answered, "I don't know."

"You DO know!" 

The silence stretched on. 

"Just- Just talk to her Abed."

"I will." Came the quiet reply.

"Now I've got to go, I have a project for Ice Cream class I got to finish." 

"The ultimate blow-off class, I can't believe you got in." 

"Yeah well, this fudge brownie ain't gonna finish itself. Miss you bud, take care."

"Miss you too Troy, handshake?" They heard a few thumping sounds. 

"You take care too." There was a beep as Abed cancelled the call. 

Steve and James had a silent conversation on what to do. Steve tilted his head to the side and looked at the living room, James shook his head and pursed his lips. Steve rolled in eyes in exasperation, and then stared pointedly at James who widened his eyes. Steve nodded and James grimaced.

James finally agreed and slinked quietly into headquarters with Steve crawling after him where they found Abed preparing The Lord of the Rings on the TV. 

"Abed." James started.

"You heard everything." 

"Yes." 

Abed stared at the remote in his hand while they waited patiently. 

"I wasn't lying when I said I don't know why I'm here. I really did forgot she worked here in Washington. Which sounds crazy because I was there at the airport when she left." 

"I must've erased it, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I chose to remove it."

Steve didn't understand that reference, but neither does James going by the look in his face, so it's fine.

"I- Annie works for the FBI, and I haven't seen her in over a year." 

"And why didn't you go see her?" James asked.

"Because I realized real life is not like the movies, and real life is not like College either. Knowing Annie she's probably promoted half a dozen times and currently in a relationship."

Abed inclined his head and looked at them, "I know her type, she's into alpha males and the FBI would be full of them." He observed them both a little closer. "You two fit the bill actually."

Steve shifted uncomfortabley and bumped into James who avoided his gaze. 

"I didn't want to admit that I went here for nothing, especially to my father who would gladly drag me back to our falafel business, so I saw an Ad for SHIELD. I applied and then volunteered at the VA to learn about grief, trauma, guilt and how to live with it or overcome it. It's something that's been sorely lacking in my films. Emotions are rather hard to comprehend."

"Abed it's no use running away from this. You're already here." Steve said and felt a gong ringing in his head. He realized he should be following his own advice too.

"I agree, now that I remember what I came here for. I'll talk to her."

Abed turned to look at them, "I need help gathering information. I don't know where she is." 

Steve clapped him on the shoulder. "We'll help you." 

"Thanks a lot. Let's watch The Lord of the Rings?"

"Sure."

They gathered in front of the TV and leaned against a stack of pillows. The tension has dissolved now that they've talked things through.

And if under the comfort of the blankets and cushions that Steve leaned a little bit closer to James, that's fine, no one else has to know.

* * *

Steve didn't know if if was fate or not but he didn't end up giving Abed the information. He was coming back from a mission when James called him, "Hey Bu- James."

"Hey Steve." James ignored the little slip up. "You got any plans this Friday?"

Steve felt a flutter in his chest, this would be James's first time asking him out to anything other than VA sessions.

"No, I'm back to SHIELD by Wednesday."

"Cool." Steve knew James had picked up the slang from their middle-eastern friend. "Want to join us? We're going to this bar Abed found, it's called 'Daybreak'. It has a jazzy nightlife feel that he thinks we would like." 

"Sure James, I'll go."

"Good, don't dress up like a grandpa okay Steve?" James teased.

"Kids these days just don't know how to dress."

"You just said kids these days."

"Alright fine, I'll come dressed appropriately." 

James said a 'you better' before hanging up. 

"You got a date Steve?" Natasha said in a sweet voice to his left.

He felt his nerves twitch at the word 'date' and shook his head. "Nah, just a night out with the boys." He explained.

Natasha just gazed back silently, the hum of the quinjet in the background. "What would you think if I poach this Annie girl from the FBI?" 

Steve did a double take. "What?" 

Natasha leaned back against her chair. "She's young and smart, you told me to look into her and I found a potential recruit."

Steve blinked in disbelief. "Abed just wanted to know where she worked."

"I know." She shrugged. "How's it going between you and Bucky?" 

"It's James. He goes by James now." He corrected.

Natasha had an impressed look on her face, "Trying a fresh start huh?"

"Yeah, and it's been great actually, I'm discovering new things about him." He tapped the seat with his fingers in contemplation.

"It's getting easier for me to separate the past and the present. Mainly because James is set in a different environment than in my memories." He grinned at her, "We didn't have massive blanket forts or movie nights back then." 

Natasha displayed a hint of a smile, "I'm glad it's working out for you." He bashfully shook his head, "Yeah it has."

"So which bar are you seniors going to?" She smirked.

"I think James called it Daybreak. It has a jazzy nightlife feel, I don't know what that means." 

Natasha looked off onto the distance with an intrigued look on her face. "Huh. What a coincidence." 

"What?"

She shook her head and had a peculiar look on her face. "Nothing Steve, I went to another jazzy nightlife themed bar a few days ago. I think you'll like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :] 
> 
> I'm trying not to make long chapters again, they tend to cut into my study time so here's cute bits instead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jazzy Nightlife

Steve wasn't sure what jazzy nightlife exactly meant but the word is apt. This is exactly how he imagined the future would look like back in the days. 

Soft jazz music played in the background as the small group walked into the bar. Steve observed the bricked walls with framed photos and vinyls. The bar looked relatively new but the decor reminiscent to the bar they used to drink with the howling commandos, just with more neon lights, exposed copper pipes and a soft magenta glow.

"The theme is actually more of a cyberpunk vibe except I doubt you two would understand what that meant without pictures." Abed looked around for a table and perked up when he spotted a booth near a bright neon jukebox.

"C'mon." 

Steve actually liked the place, there wasn't any loud music that usually jar his enhanced senses and the smooth jazz gave off that relaxed atmosphere instead. 

"You both told me you can't get drunk." 

They two supersoldiers nodded, "The superserum has made it next to impossible for us to get drunk."

Abed looked thoughtful and the waitress passed by to take their drink orders. Abed raised his hand and said. "One Old-Fashioned please, a strawberry daiquiri, and a... you know what, give us ten of the most girliest drinks you have, surprise us. Oh and a 7 and 7 please thank you." 

Steve quirked an eyebrow at Abed who replies matter-of-factly, "Girly drinks have a bad rep, they are just as alcoholic as other cocktails and they're tasty. I think you'll enjoy it."

He turned to James, "I got you an Old-Fashioned, it's a classic from Mad Men."

"And the 7 and 7?" 

"It's mine, just one. I don't like getting hungover, it messes with my brain." Abed slid off the booth and started messing with the jukebox and the jazzy notes of a song started playing. Steve recognized it as one of the tunes Abed would occasionally play in his apartment. He watched as Abed hums along and sways to the catchy beat. 

Steve turned to James and was unsure what to talk about, they can't talk about SHIELD in public and they haven't spent much time around each other apart from hanging out in Abed's apartment. Steve doesn't want to bring up old memories, it seemed counterproductive to the progress they've made so far. So he talks about the only other thing they have in common.

"How's the VA sessions going?" 

"Pretty well, Sam has been a big help." 

"That's good." Steve pursed his lips.

James looks at him for a few moments, "You should come by more often, it'll do you some good."

"I wish I could, the missions-- work gets in the way." 

Now James has a pinched look on his face. "You know I worry whenever you leave and I can't follow."

Steve felt his chest tighten and he averts his gaze. "Well once you get cleared for work I'll get you assigned with me." 

"You better, punk." 

The familiar name rolls off his tongue like butter. 

"Jerk."

They talk a little bit about the sessions until the drinks arrived. Steve was rather overwhelmed by the brightly colored cocktails placed in front of him.

He decided to try one bright red and magenta colored cocktail, it had a few rose petals floating in the alcohol. It looked rather interesting, he observed it from all angles. He could smell the sweetness and alcohol emanating from the glass.

Abed nursed his drink while looking intently at his reaction. James himself was already halfway through his Old-Fashioned and looked curious at the vast aray of different colored drinks.

Steve took a sip and his eyebrows raised in awe as the sweet taste of bubblegum, and cherries filled his tongue. "This is like a dessert." He said after a swallow, the bitter taste of alcohol at the back of his throat a pleasant contrast to the sweetness on his tongue.

"You should try some." Abed told James who had been eyeing a neon bright blue cocktail. He shrugged and took a sip of the concoction. "Blueberries."

"Here." Steve handed the half-empty red cocktail to James and eyed the other selections. One had a more subdued color, a burnt sienna with a few spices floating in the ice.

* * *

Abed had a small smile on his face as Steve let out a surprised sound.

"Banana?" 

He basked in their quiet fascination, enjoying the soft tunes of 'Daybreak' playing in the background.

"Abed?" A soft female voice hesitantly asked. 

Abed tensed and turned towards the voice. "Annie?" His eyes widened in surprise, she looked as beautiful as ever. Silky brunette hair falling effortlessly down her shoulders, a sharp contrast to her off-shoulder white dress. Her large bright blue eyes staring back at him in shock.

She slowly approached him and he stood up, "What are you doing here?" He asked tonelessly, his mind going a million miles a minute and she slowly smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkled as she beamed. 

"It is you!" Annie practically jumped him and he fell back on his seat with an oof. She scrambled on his lap, his one hand fell to her exposed thigh as her white dress rode up her leg. 

He couldn't see Steve and James as his face was being smothered by her chest. Abed breathed in her scent of vanilla and marshmallows, he didn't know it's possible to miss a scent. After a few seconds he tried to shift away for politeness sake but couldn't move an inch as her arms wrapped around his head in a vice grip. 

"I missed you so much." She whispered into his hair and Abed slowly relaxed. His arms slipped around her waist and tightened, never wanting to let go of her warmth.

_Cough_

Annie tensed in his arms and quickly shuffled back. Bad idea as she almost fell backwards towards the table if Abed hadn't been holding her waist.

"I- I-." Annie stammered, her face bright red as she stared in horror at the other two in their booth.

James was sipping a toxic green colored cocktail while Steve nursed a tequila sunrise. They were both looking at Abed with raised eyebrows.

"Annie, these are my friends Steve Rogers and James Barnes, guys this is my college friend Annie Edison." Her eyes widened at Steve.

"Nice to meet you ma'am." James tipped an imaginary hat and Steve repeated the greeting with his hand up for a handshake. 

Annie shifted in his lap to return the handshake, he grabbed her hips to keep her steady. "Nice to meet you too." She shook his hand twice before properly sitting down next to Abed. 

She looked nervous and kept glancing at his face, he could tell she wanted to talk with him but didn't want to look rude in front of Captain America. So Abed glanced over to James who took one look at his blank face and immediately elbowed Steve. 

James chugged down the toxic green drink and while looking at Steve tilted his head towards the dance floor. They both excused themselves and soon left them alone in the booth.

"How are you Abed?" She smiled at him.

"Fine. You?" 

She shrugged, "Fine too." 

Annie bit her lip. "What are you doing here in Washington? Aren't you supposed to be in Los Angeles?" 

"I went back to Greendale when Troy came home. And I accepted a job here." Abed explained, he didn't know why he couldn't tell her why he's really there. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Abed could hear the hurt in her tone.

"Slipped my mind." He replied, it was true, it really did slip. She looked away from him and on to the table, looking at the various half-empty cocktails.

"What's your job anyway? It must be important for you to leave Troy." Her voice sounded small and the hurt was still there, he didn't like it.

"I work at SHIELD."

She perked up, "Oh! Is that where you met..." Annie indicated towards the dance floor. Abed followed her eyes and caught sight of the two supersoldiers dancing to the music. Or more like, one supersoldier is helping the other learn how to dance.

"No actually. I met James at the VA where I volunteer on the weekends." 

"Awww Abed that's so sweet of you to do." She leaned her face on her palm and looked at him fondly. 

"How long have you been here?" She asked. 

"A few months." He answered truthfully. 

Her face changed immediately to outraged disbelief. "A few months!?" 

Abed looked at her with wide eyes.

"You've been here for months and never thought to tell me!? Am I even your friend Abed?" Her face was getting redder and her eyes were turning glassy.

He opened his mouth and she waited for him to speak. He had nothing to say.

"Well!?" Her lower lip trembled and her eyes welled up in unshed tears. She swallowed and swiftly left the booth and was across the bar in seconds. 

Abed continued to stare into the open space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :) 
> 
> We got Annie in the mix.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The supersoldiers try to get Abed to respond.

When Steve hit the dance floor he felt like a fish out of water, for all the good the supersoldier serum has done for his body, it didn't really change the fact that he wasn't confident with his dancing abilities at all. 

He looked at B- James and he was already feeling the music, his head was thrown back, feet and hips instinctively moving to the notes. James looked smooth and suave under the glow of the magenta lights. 

Steve saw James slightly open his eyes and caught him standing awkwardly at the edge of the dance floor. He gave Steve a carefree grin, ran a hand through his long silky hair and slowly approached him. Steve swallowed and he felt his face heating under the sole attention of this dangerous man. 

Like a predator being stalked by it's prey Steve felt his breath hitch as James slinked closer, all of his sinewy muscles moving along to the beat of the jazz music.

James pressed along the length of his front and Steve swears he wasn't breathing as he felt every single blessed inch against his form. 

"Close your eyes." James whispered to his ear and he instinctively did so. 

"Relax." Why is he whispering. 

"Sway to the music." 

Steve can hear him well enough from across the room.

"Move your arms to the beat." 

Steve is trying.

"Don't think too much." 

Steve can feel his hot breath on the nape of his neck.

"I said don't think too much."

Steve wants to argue but a hand closed around his neck, stopping him in his tracks.

"Now dance with me." 

The warmth pulls away and he feels a pang of longing. The air shifts as James stepped back, swaying once again to the beat of the music.

Steve lightly shook his head and immersed himself to the smooth sounds of the saxophone and guitar. Moving on instinct and letting his worries disappear. The only thing that mattered is the here and now, in this small stage with the most important person in his life.

_"You've been here for months and never thought to tell me!? Am I even your friend Abed?"_

Steve snapped his head in attention to the voice. He saw Annie quickly walking away with tears in her eyes. He shared a look with James and they quickly walked back to their booth. 

As they approached they could see Abed staring blankly at nothing. 

"Abed?" James hesitantly spoke.

"Abed?" Louder this time, still no response.

James shared a slightly panicked look with Steve before slowly approaching the still figure. 

"Abed, it's okay buddy. It's okay."

"Come back to us Abed." James soothingly rubbed circles on Abed's back.

James shot him a look and mouthed 'special drink' and glanced towards the bar. Steve nodded and went to find the bartender. 

"Hello sir, can I have cold milk mixed with hot cocoa powder?" The bartender gave him a strange look. "I'll pay extra." The man nodded and went to the back. 

Steve looked back at their booth and cocked his head at the sight of James applying Abed's favorite lip balm on the still form of their friend.

"Here." The bartender placed the drink on the counter with a clink. Steve tossed him a few bills and quickly walked back to their booth.

"Abed I have special drink." He carefully placed the chocolate drink on the table.

"You hear that Abed? We have special drink." 

James sent him a despairing look but something behind Steve caught his eye. Steve turned and paused as Annie stood a few feet away. Her eyes are red and her cheeks wet with tears but her gaze focused solely on Abed. 

She bit her lip and James stepped away from Abed as she came closer. 

"Abed?" She hesitantly spoke his name. 

Her eyelids fluttered as moisture gathered in her eyes again, she silently placed her knee on the seat and leaned down. She held his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking his cheeks as he remained unresponsive.

"Abed. I'm sorry for getting mad at you, I didn't mean it. I know you better than that. You're Abed, one of the most loyal person I've ever known, I know you don't do things without a reason. But I also know you're not perfect, you have anxieties and fears just like the rest of us."

She paused, searching his face for any signs he's back. "Abed come back to us." Annie slipped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his hair. She hummed the same jazzy tune Abed had been listening to earlier and she slowly started rocking them both to the beat of the music.

Steve could see some light appear in his eyes as she continued to sway him back and forth in her arms. It's a rather awe-inspiring sight to see and Steve felt rather moved. Abed slowly raised his wrapped his arms around Annie and she stopped humming.

With her face still hidden in his hair she said. "Abed, we've lived together for many years, we've had thousands of meals together, and we've had many fights throughout that time as well. And Abed, I can safely say that I know you too well."

Abed blinked and gave them a slightly puzzled look over her shoulder as he looked around, returning back to reality. Her arms tightened and he minutely relaxed.

"You should be in Los Angeles right now, working on a TV show like you've always dreamed. And yet you went home to Greendale, to Troy. You should be there right now, in Greendale with our friends but..."

She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "But you're here, away from Greendale, away from Troy, away from film. Abed, why are you here?"

He stared at her for a long time before saying. 

"I wanted to see you." 

Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the right words to reply. 

"Why didn't you?"

He looked at her with his piercing gaze.

"I got scared." 

Annie stayed silent. Steve looked at James and caught him already staring at him, his eyes dark with emotion.

"Let's get you home." She said and pulled him up.

"I have an idea, why don't we watch Inspector Spacetime Abed?" Annie smiled at their friend, weaving her arm through his. She turned to the supersoldiers expectantly and they both shook their head in unison. 

"We'll stay here. Have fun." They both watched as the couple left the bar. 

James slinked back into the booth and chugged down the untouched special drink. 

"That ended better than I thought." Steve muttered, sitting down and looking at the melted ice in his colorful drink.

James hummed and said. "She wasn't what I expected when he said he's here for a girl."

"Abed never talked about her?" 

"No. He's a pretty private person unless it involves Greendale or movies." 

Steve tried a yellow colored drink, the sweet tropical taste and smell of mangoes fill his mouth. Finishing off the drink in one go he carefully placed the empty glass on the table. 

"I haven't tried to dance since a century ago." Steve murmured. "I'm glad I got to dance tonight." He glanced over at James and felt himself tense. He was looking at Steve with dark hooded eyes. 

James cocked his head and smirked. "Night's still young Steve, let's go dance."

James stalked back to the dance floor, a quick look over his shoulder had Steve scrambling to catch up.

The music had changed to something decidedly older, an orchestra of saxophones and clarinets. James held his hand out for him and he hesitated, looking around at the club that still had a significant amount of people. But then he remembered, this is the future, no one cares if two men held hands and wrap themselves together in public. Nobody is going to drag them to an alleyway and beat them to the ground.

He exhales all his worries and grasps the hand waiting patiently for him to hold.

_Never thought that you would be._

_Standing here so close to me._

_There's so much I feel that I should say._

_But words can wait until some other day._

James tugged until he stood flush against him, they fit perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle. It feels right. 

Steve wrapped his arms around the his best friend, their faces side by side as they swayed.

_Kiss me once, then kiss me twice._

_Then kiss me once again._

_It's been a long, long time._

_Haven't felt like this, my dear._

_Since I can't remember when._

_It's been a long, long time._

James held his hips, his touch and smell lulling him into a peaceful state of bliss. As the song repeats the time apart James slid his arms around his waist and tightened his hold. 

Steve doesn't want to be anywhere else but here, as if his universe and being has been compressed into a singular point in space.

_You'll never know how many dreams._

_I've dreamed about you._

_Or just how empty they seemed without you._

_So kiss me once, then kiss me twice._

_Then kiss me once again._

_It's been a long, long time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay Gold everyone 💜
> 
> Songs used in this chapter:
> 
> Daybreak by Michael Haggins
> 
> It's Been a Long, Long Time by Kitty Kallen


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's watch Inspector Spacetime.

"--So I told him 'that's not a bomb!' and he absolutely freaked."

They both burst out in laughter at her tale. 

"I'm glad you're having fun at your work Annie." He said as he turned the car left on the road.

"Well it's not Greendale but it is interesting." She grinned at him. "The most exciting thing to happen this month was seeing you in one of my favorite bars." 

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't think that would be your type of place." 

She shrugged. "True, but my reason for being there is probably the same as yours." She teased.

They both nodded and said in unison. "Daybreak." 

Annie chuckled and said fondly. "Even in Washington Troy finds a way."

Abed smiled and parked his car outside his apartment. "We're here." He leaves the car and walks around to open her car door. He helps her out with a hand and she looks at the building in surprise. 

"Wow, SHIELD must pay really well, this place looks nice." 

"Yeah. It's close to the headquarters so it's where they recommend employees to stay." Abed didn't think telling Annie about the bugs in the apartment is best. She might find one though, so he settled on watching her find a few if she could.

James knew where the bugs were planted but Abed convinced him to just leave it alone. If it made SHIELD more comfortable with having supersoldiers over at his apartment. That's fine. If they try to disable the bugs SHIELD will have to try different methods of surveillance.

Annie followed along behind him as he walked up the stairs to his apartment door. He opened the door and Abed realized he'd gotten too caught up thinking about the bugs around the apartment.

When they entered the pillow town 2.0 he had set up with James was still there. It was when Steve was on a mission and James had gotten antsy so he proposed they set up a fort to get his mind off of things. James tends to worry about his childhood friend.

Annie didn't seem to mind at all though. Evidenced by the way she squealled in delight and immediately crawled inside the fort regardless of her dress. He smiled and followed her in. 

"I missed this!" She gushed and went around investigating the apartment via pillow tunnels. 

"I'll get the popcorn." He piped in and crawled to the kitchen to microwave some popcorn.

"Is this your room?" Her voice called out from somewhere in the apartment.

"Does it have a bed? If yes it's my bedroom." 

The microwave beeped and he pulled out the bag.

"I'm on the bed!" 

Abed felt the bag fall from his grasp. Images of Annie lying spread on his sheets caused his fingers to lose strength.

Shaking his head to clear the image he picked up the popcorn bag and dumped it into a bowl. Abed crawled through the fort, making it a game not to spill a single kernel as he navigates through the tunnels. 

He managed to make it to the head of operations without spilling a single popcorn and plopped the bowl next to a small mountain of pillows and worked on setting up Inspector Spacetime. 

Abed missed watching Inspector Spacetime with Annie, when Troy left it was one of the pastimes that got them closer. Not that they weren't already good friends before, but there was something about constantly falling asleep in the blanket fort with Annie tucked under his chin that sparked the first wave of feelings. He wasn't a very emotional person and had a hard time understanding emotions in general, but it just felt right to have her in his arms, like she was always meant to be there.

When they moved apart it was hard not to have her comforting weight against his chest. He really missed those moments of intimacy.

After he was done loading up Inspector Spacetime, it only took a minute, he sat back down on Pillow Mountain and waited with his hands on his lap for her to come back after her exploration.

Five minutes later he still hasn't heard from Annie and decided to find her. He passed by the Chair Monument, Blanket Falls and Fern Village before arriving to his bedroom, he could hear soft breathing from the doorway.

Abed blinked and silently inched closer to the bed. On his knees he leaned over her still form. There was no bedsheets or pillows on his bed, as they were sacrificed for the construction of the headquarters. 

Despite that he took in the rare moment, memorizing every single detail of the gorgeous image she formed on his bed. From her luscious brunette hair spread out against his white sheets to her long shapely legs peeking from under her white dress, he never wants to forget any of it. 

"Annie." He said softly. 

"Annie." A little louder now and she started to stir.

"Annie you said we were watching Inspector Spacetime." She jumped awake and his gaze followed her as she flailed in her unknown surroundings.

"Wha- Where!?" She panted. 

"You're in the Master Cubiculum." He watched as recognition filled her eyes and her lips turned up in a fond smile when she sees him.

"Abed." The breathy way she said his name was making his blood pump faster. She reached for him, her arms outstretched as she stumbled over the bed and into his lap. 

"Carry me." She demanded against his chest. 

"Please." Lips pouting with blue eyes bright and shining that he almost gave in. But he chuckled instead and whispered. "Can't doll, the ceiling is too low." And by that he meant the blanket fort ceiling.

She sighed and righted herself. "Figured I'd give it a shot."

He grinned behind her and nudged her aside with his shoulder. Annie looked over with a pout, his eyes flashed and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Race you there." 

And he took off. 

It was a close race, Annie managed to tackle him in Blanket Falls but he managed to pull a fast one in front of the Chair Monument. It was neck and neck right up until the last moment when she attempted to jump him again.

"Oomph." He fell onto Pillow Mountain with Annie flailing on his back and the popcorn tipped over. 

"Nooooooo..." He bemoaned dramatically over the spilled snack as she giggled on his back. He buried his face in the pillow underneath him, enjoying her pleasant warmth and weight.

"Did I win?"

"Technically I won, I fell down here first." Came his muffled reply. 

She laid down flat over his form, her breath ruffling the soft hair on the back of his neck. 

"I miss this. I missed you so much." Annie whispered. 

Abed slowly turned over until he was flat on his back and she tucked herself under his chin like she does a hundred times before. Her sweet smell of vanilla and marshmallows fill his senses. 

Clutching her to his chest he replied, "I missed you too." 

They laid there in contented silence and soaking in each other's presence. "I didn't know how much until you were gone." He continued.

Abed slowly stroked her hair. "You're my longest roommate, even longer than Troy. When Troy moved in it was easy, he liked what I liked and vice versa. When you moved in it was hard, you had rules, you were strict, and you wanted things to go a certain way. In hindsight you and I were just the same. We want control in the only things we can because everything else is chaotic and random." 

"Instead of conforming to some of the juvenile rules I set you questioned it, you fought against it and taught me to be more empathetic. So I had to mature, I had to grow up. You made me a better person Annie."

She shifted in his arms, her cold nose pressed against his neck and he almost shuddered at the sensation. 

"Abed moving in with you two was one of the best decisions I'd ever done." His eyes fluttered closed as her words caused her lips to brush against his neck.

"I tried so hard to be mature when I didn't need to. I was young, and I spent most of my childhood studying. It was always a treat to play with you Abed. Ever since I moved here and you're not there anymore... Life has been bland and colorless. I'm doing exactly what I've spent years working towards but I'm not as happy as I was with you." Abed felt a feather-light brush of lips against his jaw. 

"Troy told me to follow my heart. Which I translated as, doing what I really wanted, so I took a plane here."

The words Abed really wanted to say is up in the air, how exactly do you say I need you, I want you, and I want to be with you without sounding creepy to your former roommate.

"I'm glad you're here." She smiled, "Inspector Spacetime?" 

Abed grinned and repositioned himself to lean against Pillow Mountain, Annie has no qualms with watching the TV with her head on his lap and his fingers in her hair. Abed salvaged whatever popcorn he could as the first scene of the newest episode played on screen. Grabbing a handful he popped a few popcorn in his mouth and slowly fed the rest to Annie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be taking it easy :) I'll be updating every other day. 
> 
> I'm also writing on a new fic, once I get around 20k words or more I'll start to post it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang watch a movie.

"Are you okay?" Steve shakily asked and raised his shield as HYDRA goons attempt to gun him down. 

"This ain't my first rodeo Steve." Came the tinny reply from his commlink. A goon gets shot through the head, giving him enough time to dive behind rubble. He threw his shield at the wall and heard it ricochet against multiple bodies with satisfying thumps.

"I know James but it's been awhile since you've been on the field."

"Can't forget what you're made to do." James replied with humour in his tone.

Steve frowned but chose not to comment, not that he had much of a choice when the ground rumbled as an explosion occurred somewhere on the base. 

"Widow. Status." He commanded over the commlink, dodging behind another piece of rubble as bullets whizz by his head. 

"Mission success, information has been wiped. If you two are done handling the stragglers we can leave this for SHIELD for clean up." Natasha replied smoothly and thumps could be heard from her end of the commlink.

"Affirmative. Give us a second." Steve replied. Like the unstoppable team they were before, it didn't take long before they systematically cleared the base. Steve looked at the outpost he knew James was lying in with his sniper rifle and nodded to himself. They still got it.

A figure in black with blazing red hair approached him from his left. Natasha had a smirk on her face as they quickly turn to rendezvous at the SHIELD designated pick-up point. 

It didn't take long for them to reach the location and hiding behind a couple of trees. "Hey Nat, want to come watch a movie in the theater with us?" He asked as they waited for pick-up. 

"It'll be my first time seeing a modern theater. The last time I used to go with Bucky and the dames, it's amazing the realism they've managed to achieve these days."

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What movie?"

"It's apparently the premiere of The Lego Batman movie? I know who Batman is now, thank goodness, but I'm confused about the Lego part."

"You and me both Steve." They watched as James appeared on the treeline as he slowly makes his way down.

"Well anyhow, I'm just asking if you're interested in watching a movie with us?"

"Lego Batman isn't what you'll expect when it comes to 'realistic' but I dunno Steve. I don't want to be a fifth wheel." She replied sardonically.

"Fifth... Wheel?" He tilted his head in confusion, a habit he picked up from Abed.

She softly snorted before shaking her head. "You know what, sure I'll come with. It'll be entertaining." 

James finally reached the pick-up point, he looked a little disgruntled. Steve reached out and swiped a few stray leaves out of his hair and straightened his uniform like a mother hen. James let it happen, looking unruffled except for the way his eyes took in Steve, roaming in search of any injuries.

Natasha watched the two fuss at each other as the quinjet appeared on the horizon, already feeling like a third wheel. She made an internal shrug and a roll of her eyes, whatever made her friends happy.

* * *

"What is this movie about again?" James asked for Steve's sake as the blonde supersoldier looked perplexingly at the colorful poster inside the theater. 

"Batman but in Lego form." Abed replied and Natasha noted the middle-eastern man had his arm around the brunette FBI, Annie. She was leaning against him with a fond smile on her face. 

"Lego?" Steve asked with his brow furrowed.

"It's essentially plastic blocks of different shapes, kids use them to build whatever was in their imagination. It's been around since the 30s in Denmark but only became popular in the US around the 70s. The first Lego Minifigures also came right around the same time." Abed pointed at the weirdly shaped yellow humans on the poster.

"And they make movies out of it? I'm impressed." James said in disbelief, Steve coming up behind him and pressing a hand to his back. Natasha noted how James subtly leaned back against the hand.

If Natasha didn't know any better she would say that these two pairs of dorks are in a relationship. But she knew better and these hopeless idiots are still not together, if she had more fucks to give she would meddle but as of right now she's more interested in the entertainment aspect of what's being presented. Or maybe she should meddle? To get the ball rolling so to speak.

"I'll go get the popcorn." Abed said and made a beeline to the concession stands.

There was a buzzing noise and the group turned to look at Steve who got his cellphone out of his pocket. He minutely frowned at the screen and excused himself to accept the call. James followed his movements, eyes tracing the blonde form, no doubt he's listening to their conversation with his enhanced hearing. 

"Annie... James, how goes the seduction?" She gave a winningly tight-lipped smile at the remaining members. 

"S-- Seduction?" Annie nervously chuckled, her fingers shakily running through her hair while James had a sudden coughing fit. 

Natasha just hummed at the two, her face in a smirk. She caught sight of Abed walking back with bags of popcorn and soda. 

"Word of advice, it's going to be dark in there, use it wisely." 

Annie sputtered, unable to form a response as her face turned red. Natasha could see the tips of James's ears going red as he tried staying calm. 

Natasha frowned slightly when he stiffened and turned his face towards where Steve had gone. Whatever the conversation was, it wasn't going well. James had a frown on his face when Abed finally reached them.

"Where's Steve?" He asked to a blushing Annie. 

"He got a call." Was her quick answer, she turned towards Natasha and her blush deepened when Natasha winked in encouragement. 

Abed was looking at the two of them in confusion, most likely missing social cues. James was still tense and Natasha observed his movements with a critical eye. After a few seconds she caught him visibly relaxing. Whatever it was that made him tense must have been remedied. 

"I got you cream soda." Abed said to Annie. 

"Aww thanks Abed, you remembered." Annie smiled and squeezed his forearm. The two shared fond looks while Natasha watched on the side. 

"What time is it?" James asked and Abed looked at the theater clock, it was in Roman numerals for some reason. 

"Five plus four times..." Natasha looked in stunned silence as Abed struggled to read the clock. 

"We still have twenty minutes til the movie starts. We should go now and get good seats." Annie smoothly interrupted. 

"I'm gifted in other ways." Abed stated and Annie nodded in agreement.

"I'm back! Let's go in?" Steve said from behind them.

"This is my first time watching in a modern theater." He added looking very excited. 

"Me too." James said with a smile.

Natasha noticed James laying a hand across Steve's shoulder, pulling him close and leading him to the theater room. 

She trailed behind the couples, wondering if she could get a seat behind them without much protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> I've been a bit busy writing another story. It's going rather well. 
> 
> Anybody else craving ice cream?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abed reveals something to Annie.

Abed led them to good seats on the upper decks, straining his neck in the front row wasn't his idea of a good time. 

He grabbed Annie's hand as they walked between the aisles, he hoped there won't be too many kids here. Abed specifically chose this theater because he had determined it was less likely for parents to bring their children here. Probably from the adult toy store next door and the strip club across the street.

Unfortunately that doesn't stop some adults from leaving their kids in the theater so they can browse through the aforementioned club and store though. So there's a smattering of kids lacking adult supervision around the theater. Thankfully the kids have mostly chosen to sit up front and not at the back. 

Abed found the seats he wanted, just in line with the large screen without sacrificing the sound. Perfect. Sitting down he wondered if they're doing the movie date trope, but then again they're a group so it might not work. 

They wait for the movie to start and in the silence of the theater Abed tensed when Annie laid her head on his shoulder. Her hands grabbed his and he stared at their joined hands as her fingers traced the lines on his palm and the knuckles on every joint. 

"Abed." She muttered lowly among the murmuring of other audiences in the theater. He looked over at her and even in the dim lighting he could see she's biting her lip.

"Are you... Are you planning on going back to LA to pursue film?" She asked in a whisper.

He considered the question and pondered for a second. Should he tell her his plans or should he feign ignorance? Deciding in the end that the truth is more important he asked.

"Troy's mansion. Do you know where it is?"

Her head lifted up from his shoulder to give him a confused look. "No. Isn't it somewhere in Greendale?"

Abed chuckled before shaking his head. 

"No. Troy decided to build his mansion in Los Angeles."

"What?" She looked shocked.

"Troy wanted to pursue a music career Annie. I've run the simulations, it's likely he'll make it big, and he would be right on track to invent Dance Pants in 2019."

"W-what... Does that mean you're?" Her eyes still wide.

"Yes Annie." He turned to her. "He asked me to move in even before the mansion was even finished." 

"So you are going back to LA." She looked down at their joined hands.

"Eventually, yes."

"I see."

Annie was silent for the rest of the previews. Abed isn't good at telling faces, and he can't begin to comprehend what she's thinking. Annie has changed a lot since the time they've separated. What he said can't be considered good news but she hasn't shown any outward negative reaction to his words and her hand still played with his fingers. 

Maybe they're just not destined together in the plot. Maybe he's nothing more than a hurdle or footnote in Annie's saga. But just like Annie he has grown as well, and he also has dreams he wants to accomplish that won't be possible in Washington. Him being here wasn't planned at all.

Maybe it was that small seed of hope planted during their time living together so long ago, but he hoped she'd be there by his side when he makes his first directorial debut and when he wins his first award, but it would be selfish of him to ask her of that. 

She was the one who taught him to consider others in spite of his wants, so this might have been his last ditch effort to be with her before their roads forked into different directions again.

Behind them with her cheek resting on her palm Natasha stared at their backs with a calculating gleam in her eye.

* * *

James yawned to his left, stretching his arms above his head and then lazily falling on his shoulder. Steve inwardly snorted at the move but ultimately relaxed against the warm hold. 

Steve tries to understand how the toys on screen are moving but everything seemed amusing to him just because on the basis that they are talking toys. The characters in the movie seem very 'meta', which is what James once described Abed. 

The audience chuckled at the scenes, James tightened his hold on his shoulder. The touch is a welcome comfort after his conversation with Stark.

* * *

_"What didn't you tell me about Barnes?" The calm voice said as soon as he took the call._

_"What do you mean Stark?" Steve asked warily, shooting a look back at the group._

_"When were you planning to tell me he killed my parents." Stark said in a low voice filled with pent-up rage._

_Steve did a sharp inhale, "Where did you hear that?"_

_"Does it matter? I'm Tony Stark." He shot back._

_Steve shook his head, but then he realized Stark couldn't see him. "Stark. I had my suspicions but I wasn't sure, it was overwhelming at the time, I- I didn't tell you because... Well... Because Bu- James is trying to heal. Make amends."_

_When Stark didn't say anything Steve continued. "I know it's not an excuse but, you've probably read the files, even the ones no one else has seen yet. James has spent the last century tortured, brainwashed and forced to do unimaginable things. I can't... I don't know how to help the both of you."_

_The line was still silent. "How long have you known Tony?"_

_"Long enough time to talk myself out of flying to Washington and killing a geriatric popsicle." The response had caused the tension in Steve's shoulders to lighten somewhat._

_"Why?" He asked._

_"Do you want me to go all Ironman on your childhood friend?" Came the sarcastic answer._

_"Tony."_

_"Fine. I know what it's like to be captured and tortured. I was only there for months, he's been kept for decades. I- It's unfair Steve, I want to hate this guy but he's as much of a victim as all of us." The first shred of sadness leaked through the tinny speakers._

_"Thank you Tony."_

_"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a bunch, go back to whatever movie you guys are attempting to watch."_

_"Tony, are you spying on us right now?" Steve looked around and caught the CCTV looking straight at him._

_"I don't like the word spy, reminds me of the cyclops in the sky, I prefer the term cyberespionage." Tony responded in his typical sassy voice._

_Steve burst out laughing. "Never change Tony."_

_"Better go in or you won't get good seats capsicle. Also, what kind of garbage phone is that? I can hear the low quality from across state lines"_

_"Take care Tony." Steve said warmly and received a grumbled response before the call ended. That went better than expected._

* * *

"Steve?" James called his name softly in the dark of the theater. Steve turned and felt a hand threading through his own. His breath hitched when the thumb starting tracing soothing circles on his knuckles.

Steve could still see clearly in the dark and knew the look on James's face when he walked back to the group meant he heard everything. 

The blonde supersoldier gave him a faint smile and knew everything's going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> I've been reading a lot of Final Fantasy 7 fanfics recently, I really want to play the remake.
> 
> Hope you all stay safe during these times.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

Ever since Abed told Annie about his plan to return to Los Angeles, he was afraid Annie would stop seeing him.

He didn't expect their time together would increased instead. 

Almost every other day she'd come over after her shift was done and spend her evenings with Abed. As if Abed hasn't told her anything at all about his future plans, she remains persistently by his side. 

Abed expected it was bound to happen, that Annie would also become good friends with Steve, James, and Natasha. Sam too whenever he can drop by to join in their marathon.

Abed just hadn't expected them to get along this well. 

He once caught James giving Annie tips on how to handle her firearms, which one works best for her and how to single-handedly take down a man with a pencil. Which unfortunately didn't mean sticking a pencil to the table and slamming the enemy's head on it. Shame. 

More than once he'd seen Annie walking the halls of SHIELD trailing behind the intimidating Black Widow. The first time it happened he did a double take.

He had asked Steve why was Annie going around the premises of his work place and the blonde supersoldier only shrugged before pulling up his Starkphone, which Abed noted to be brand new and not among the available choices for the public. 

"Jarvis can you show us a feed of SHIELD gym five please?" Steve asked and Abed raised an eyebrow as the screen immediately flickered to show the CCTV footage of the gym in question. 

Abed could see Natasha teaching Annie a set of complicated martial arts move that resulted in the decapitation of a dummy with only her thighs. 

"That's what they've been doing for the past few weeks. Natasha's taken Annie under her wing it seems." 

Abed eyed the Starkphone warily before turning to look at Steve. "This is a Starkphone that hasn't been released yet." 

Steve coughed and scratched the back of his neck, a sign of nervousness, Abed thought with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah. Stark saw the SHIELD issued phone I was using and thought it was a 'travesty to humankind' and send this one over." 

Steve looked down at the phone fondly. "Jarvis is built-in and it's amazing what an- uhm- an A.I. can do. I think." 

"You're welcome sir." A distinctly British sounding male voice replied from the Starkphone.

Abed is in a conundrum, on the one hand Steve has Skynet on his phone acting like a crossbreed between Siri and everyone's favorite eavesdropping FBI man. But also there's Terminator. 

Abed settled on impressed instead. 

"That's awesome." 

"Right?! Jarvis is pretty handy." Steve boasts.

"Abed look at this. Jarvis, can you locate the nearest art exhibition?"

"There is one a few blocks away Sir, I can set up a schedule for you if you wish." Came the prompt British reply. 

"Thanks Jarvis." Steve looked at Abed like a schoolboy showing off his newest toy.

"You're welcome sir." 

"You should ask James to go with you." Abed said in a monotone voice. "He'd like that."

Steve swallowed and looked down at the Starkphone with his face a dusky red. 

"Yeah... I should ask him. Jarvis can you call James?" 

Abed left him alone to call James and went back to work after checking his digital watch, his break is over.

* * *

The ringtone chimed and Abed instantly paused the movie to search for his phone before it could disturb his guest. Annie had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of their Indiana Jones marathon and was laying her head on his lap. He had been absent-mindedly playing with her hair when his phone rang.

Finding it stuck between the cushions he checked who was calling. Troy. He accepted the call, trying to keep as still as possible not to wake up Annie.

"Hey Troy." He answered in a low voice.

"Hey Abed, how's it going?"

Abed eyed the brunette on his lap. "Fine."

"Good. Have you talked to Annie yet?" 

"I have. We've been hanging out." 

"Oh. Just hanging out?" Troy asked in a soft tone.

"Yeah."

There was a pause. "You know I'm moving in to my mansion in a month. Just, you know, telling you in case you're interested in moving back to LA."

Abed exhaled softly, his knuckle lightly caress the side of Annie's face as she continued to sleep. 

"I will Troy, I am. Production for that TV show is bound to start soon." 

"Do you know... When you're going to move in?"

"Maybe a month," He looked down at Annie. "Or two."

"Okay, just, keep me posted."

"I will. Take care."

"You too."

Abed closed the call and couldn't help but ask himself. "What am I doing?"

* * *

Tony didn't know what to think. On the one hand the almost century old geriatric killed his parents. On the other hand, he was tortured and brainwashed to do so, but on the other hand, there's his mom... and dad. 

He laid back on the oil-stained couch in his workshop, feet propped up on the arm. Tony stared at the ceiling, his mind unable to move forward with the conflicting thoughts. 

He's never been good with handling emotions, he usually just drinks himself to sleep to cope with everything, but he already threw every single drop of alcohol out the window. Metaphorically speaking that is, he doesn't want another lawsuit.

Dum-E beeped from his left, arm poised with a purple smoothie.

"Jarvis. What should I do?"

"About what sir?" Came the disembodied reply.

"I want to be angry... with Barnes."

"You were angry sir." Jarvis said drily and Tony merely sniffed when he remembered the utter chaos his workshop turned into when he found out. He had trashed it in a fit of rage. 

It took several hours, a few fires and a pizza before he sat down and finished reading all the information. 

HYDRA may be one of the most thorough evil organizations out there but they know how to take notes at least. 

And that's exactly what they did. They wrote down everything, in stupid painstaking detail. Every awful, neauseating, shitty detail.

Like the times the Winter Soldier killed for their cause. His various victims, both high profile and not.

The times James Buchanan Barnes rebelled. How far he'd gone, who he'd manage to convince, and what was each of their gruesome fate after they got caught by HYDRA.

The times the Winter Soldier broke out of conditioning. Which was just about every other time out of the freezer.

The times he saved instead of killed.

The times he realized.

The times he broke down under the weight and knowledge of what he'd done, to the people he knew and to the people he didn't. Always followed immediately by another session of reconditioning.

Tony was exhausted, by the end of that afternoon he had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. From rage to horror and to pity. 

Before he called Steve that day he was watching through cameras, observing every move Barnes took, every laugh, every smile. He wanted to be angry. That this man killed his parents and is laughing out in the open. But he only felt relief, relief that HYDRA utterly failed to break this man. Relief that the horrors he'd read didn't erase the good man underneath, the one his father always talked about.

"If I may sir. You can still be an angry party," Jarvis said, breaking through his muffled thoughts. "HYDRA is still at large, their forces still burrowed deep within the government. Might as well direct your anger through there."

"Jarvis, sweet sweet child of mine. I'm already opposing HYDRA." He pointed out. 

"Might I suggest we try to erase the anger inside you instead." Jarvis said with a voice drier than the Sahara desert.

Tony sat up suddenly, couch creaking at the movement he swept his oil-stained hand through his hair. 

"That's it! Of course." He jumped off the couch and started walking back and forth.

"Jarvis track Steve, I'm going over to pay a little visit."

"Sir."

"What should I bring? Would be kind of rude to just drop in out of nowhere. Maybe a gift? Well, my presence is already a gift but should I give a gift basket or--"

"Sir." Jarvis cut through his babbling.

"I suggest cleaning up before dropping by unannounced." 

Tony looked down at his oil-stained shirt and hands. 

"Good call." Tony passed by Dum-E to grab the purple smoothie he'd been holding for the past couple of hours. Taking a sip as he trudged up the stairs and hummed, "Nice. Blueberries."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I hadn't posted yesterday, we didn't have any WiFi for some odd reason.
> 
> I've been splitting my time writing on two other fics, I'm not going to start posting any until they're done though. Whoop I can't wait.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marathon!

They're having another marathon. This time of all the live-action Disney princess films. This is after they'd finished watching the originals of course, Abed would go off on them otherwise. 

They rarely had a day off of free time together, especially now that James has gone back on field, so the marathon was a long time coming.

Annie had ordered for pizza to commemorate the special event. She's only chipping in to pay though, it would be unfair for her to pay for the amount of food the supersoldiers manage to consume on a single sitting.

She still hadn't talked to Abed yet, but a quick call to Troy revealed that Abed was moving to Los Angeles in two months. Troy hadn't meant to blurt it out but after a few choice words it didn't take much for him to break.

After she had found out about the move Annie had immediately gone on to search for ways to transfer to Los Angeles. There hadn't been any positions available so she decided not to tell Abed anything or else he'd get his hopes for nothing. 

Thankfully, as if her pleas have been answered, earlier this week a position had opened up and she immediately asked her boss for a transfer. He had been hesitant to let her go, she being one of the more competent employees in the building, but after some days of constant needling and begging he had finally relented and accepted her request for transfer this morning. 

She was over the moon with happiness but held herself back from telling Abed. It would take some time for the transfer to be finalized and there's still some chance that it won't be approved. 

In the meantime she's been spending as much time as she could in his presence. Familiarizing herself again with his little quirks and unique habits. 

And like those times of their last year together at Greendale, she's falling in love all over again. 

_Ding-dong_

"I'll get it!" Annie chimed and went to receive the pizza. 

The boys and Natasha nodded from their position around the TV. Too busy amongst themselves choosing which live-action to start with.

"It has to be Cinderella, it's the first one!" 

"Technically Snow White is the first one but they haven't gotten around to making it yet."

"But are you sure about leaving Beauty and the Beast for last?" Natasha wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah, that'd be too disappointing, how about Maleficent 2?"

"But shouldn't we be watching Maleficent 1 & 2 side by side? Wouldn't it be awkward to have Beauty and the Beast go first?"

"You know what, let's do it in chronological order by date of release." Sam interrupted the brewing argument.

"Fine."

Walking down the stairs of the apartment Annie softly hummed to herself. 

"Do you think I can park this here?" A mechanical voice asked and she screamed in shock.

"What the hell!"

"Don't worry about the pizza, I already paid for it." 

She laid a hand to steady her rapid beating heart as Ironman in all his red and gold glory stood outside Abed's apartment while holding onto their giant stack of pizza. 

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Yeah fine. Whatever." She said in a breathy voice with a wave of her hand.

With a soft whirring sound the imposing metal figure split open and Tony Stark stepped off the suit. He fixed up his no doubt expensive outfit and grabbed the stack of pizzas still in the grasp of Ironman. 

"Are you just going to leave that out here?" She asked with a pointed look at the walking weapon.

"What? Oh. Jarvis go be stealthy." 

"Very well sir." Came the British sounding reply and suddenly the Ironman suit lifted off the ground and the shockwave from the flight had her almost falling backwards. That thing is powerful, sheesh.

Tony Stark didn't even wait and started walking up the steps of he apartment. His head going every which way and taking in the old yet cosy apartment complex. Annie hesitated before following closely behind one of the richest men in America. 

"You know I don't actually know which door I should be pushing right now." Stark said standing in the empty hallway. 

"Here, let me." She brushed past him and opened Abed's apartment.

"Guys! Pizza's here." Annie breezed in and sat next to Abed. Her eyes flicking to the doorway where Tony Stark stood in his expensive bespoke suit holding a dozen pizza boxes and a pout on his face.

"I was hoping for a better entrance but that'll do, deliveryman is here!" He waltzed in like he owned the place, which he technically could if he wanted to. 

"Tony." Steve stammered out, "What are you doing here?"

"What I can't visit my favorite capsicle?" 

"I'm your only capsicle."

"Exactly why you're my favorite." 

Abed nodded, makes sense. 

"Just about everyone is here it seems, I'm insulted I wasn't invited." 

"Tony, you don't even live in Washington."

"It's an hour flight by plane Steve, which by Ironman estimates, is fifteen minutes, which I didn't count because I was already in the area and thought I'd drop by to visit my favorite capsicle. Hey, is that live-action Cinderella? Sweet." He dropped down to one of the couches and Abed blinked before turning back to the TV. 

Accepting that this is how it is now he just reached for a slice.

* * *

The marathon was over, Stark had fallen asleep halfway through 'Beauty and the Beast' and everyone was preparing to leave. 

Abed stopped James before he left the doorway, Steve had already gone down the stairs with Stark over his shoulder. 

"James. I just want to tell you I'm leaving for Los Angeles a little less than two months." 

James looked surprised and shot a look over Abed's shoulder at Annie who had fallen asleep at the couch. 

"Does she know?" He asked.

"Yeah, I told her at the movies."

"Why?" 

"I thought it would be a good time to tell her."

James shook his head and waved a hand, "No, not that. Why are you leaving for LA?"

"Oh. I still want to become a director and there's this new TV show on the works. My previous colleagues invited me to come work on it once it officially started, so I decided to take it." Abed explained. 

"What about-?" James inclined his head to Annie and found her already awake and staring at the two of them standing at the doorway. She shook her head and mouthed, 'its fine'. 

A morose look passed through Abed's face, "I'll think of something." 

"Alright, good night and don't worry, I'll tell the others."

"Thanks, bye." 

James waved as Abed closed the door. He turned around and saw Annie still fast asleep on the couch. He went forward and softly lifted her up from the couch and carried her to his room. Abed carefully laid her down and prepared himself to a night on the couch when his hand got caught.

"Stay." She said.

He didn't have the heart to say no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting close to the end now. Whew.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHIELD party.

A week passed by, then another and another and like a blink of an eye he only had two weeks left before he needed to leave. 

Abed had steadily handled all the things he needed to get done before moving. He handed in his two weeks notice, retrieved his safety deposit from the building manager and packed everything he could, by next week he would send off the non-essential boxes first. 

He's been feeling a little doozy, which is normal when change is occuring but in the last week Annie has been acting strangely. He caught her frowning and spacing out multiple times. Abed didn't want to ask her what was wrong, because he felt like he already knew. 

To take their minds off of the impending move they decided to check out the new restaurant near Annie's workplace, apparently the office gossip has said that it was really good. Which Abed has come to understand meant that it had a lot of complimentary free food. 

Annie was busy munching on free breadsticks when Abed decided to ask, "Would you like to be my plus one for the SHIELD office party?"

She paused comically, her cheeks filled with bread and chewed quickly. Annie almost choked but took a large gulp of water to help swallow down the bread. "What is the party for?" She finally asked.

"An anniversary, founding of SHIELD, I didn't think I was invited because I already handed in my notice but apparently that doesn't matter."

"Oh well, Abed..." She looked conflicted, "I-- ha-- Yes, sure! I'll go." Annie let out a nervous chuckle and stuffed herself with more breadsticks.

He eyed her warily before saying, "Cool. Cool, cool, cool."

* * *

The night air was cold and biting, Abed frowned as he wondered if Annie brought a coat for herself in this cold weather. He parked outside her apartment and reached for the bouquet of sunflowers at the back. 

Abed straightened his tie on the car side mirror before walking up the steps to her apartment. The suit was recycled from their third paintball war, the last one they ever did on Greendale. He doesn't know why he brought it, maybe because he didn't own a lot of suits, but it did come in handy so he can't really complain about the extra space it took up.

Thankfully her apartment didn't look as unsafe as her first one back in Greendale. It was a typical bricked apartment, old but still structurally sound and cosy. It was near a park, which is nice, though he doubts she regularly goes out frolicking in the park with how busy she usually is. 

He rang the doorbell and waited. "Coming!" He heard a voice shout from somewhere inside the apartment. 

Abed leaned again the brick wall and sighed. He has been doing a lot of thinking lately. How can he make them work, they haven't talked about this dance between them, the will-they won't-they is getting stale, maybe he'd offer a long distance relationship? Would she be fine with that? Abed can be contented with just hearing her voice on the phone every day, but he can't help but think that might not be enough for Annie. 

But what if Abed asked her to give it a chance? He looked down at the bouquet of sunflowers, the bright yellow a contrast against his gloomy thoughts. 

He's Abed, by the time he hit twenty he'd resigned himself to never marry. She's Annie, beautiful and driven. Would she even have the patience for his dreams? Because he's not selfish enough to ask her to give up on hers.

The door opened, "You ready? Let's go." She smiled brightly and Abed felt his mind stop working. She was wearing a form-fitting white dress that suited her complexion, her brunette hair done in large curls that fell in waves perfectly framing her small face. 

"Abed?" She asked, her big doe eyes perfectly lined. 

"You look very beautiful." He said after a moment and raised the sunflowers. "For you."

"Oh! Sunflowers, they're beautiful Abed, thank you." She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Let me just put them in some water and then we can go." She swiftly went back inside and Abed short-circuited when he saw the back of her dress, or lack-thereof. He suddenly remembered her backless black dress in the third paintball war. Abed was tongue-tied all evening, only when he slipped into character was he able to even form a coherent sentence.

When she reappeared he twitched back to life and offered her his arm, "Milady?"

"Milord." She smiled and took his offered arm.

* * *

"Steve you look amazing." James said for the tenth time.

"I know I know, I'm just not comfortable with this." Steve tugged at his neckline. James shook his head and came forward to straighten his rumpled jacket. Flattening his palms against Steve's chest. 

"It's just people we work with, don't worry." James reassured him with a pat on his cheek.

Steve sighed and caught the mechanical hand as it tried to retreat. He pressed it back against his face. "I'm surprised you're more relaxed than I am."

James just shrugged and said, "When you know who you are, what random people think stops being something you care about."

Steve smiled and shook his head lightly, "Of course. Let's go?" 

"Been ready since yesterday." Another voice spoke up from the doorway.

"Tony, you didn't even know about the event until this morning." Steve replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Doesn't matter, I'm always ready. And why wasn't I invited? Again?" Tony raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Well you're not SHIELD--" 

"Rude! I'm a SHIELD consultant, remember?" 

"Maybe the invitation for you got lost?" Steve answered with an awkward smile.

"It had better been lost." Tony narrowed his eyes. "Anyway the Audi is all warmed up downstairs because a certain someone doesn't know the concept of 'fashionably late'." 

"It would be rude Tony." 

"Can you believe this guy?" Tony said to James and pointed his thumb at Steve in mock outrage.

"I can believe it." James remarked. 

"We're going to be late, let's go."

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time Annie and Abed got there. It was a large function hall, classily decorated with numerous large buffet tables. 

They both shared a look before quickly steering towards the closest buffet tables. 

"Tiny food!" He chimed as he grabbed for the hors d'oeuvres. She picked up a slider the size of a cracker and took a bite, she moaned at the taste. 

"SHIELD cafeteria can barely serve real food but they do go all out with their events." She said and started eyeing the other tiny morsels.

Abed didn't reply, too busy grabbing a spoon with a ready bite of cheese macaroni.

They both cheerfully enjoyed the food laid out on the table, and ignoring everything else as they indulge in the fancy food. There was a lot of schmoozing going on around them. Mainly employees trying to impress the bigwigs in this event, maybe making a connection or two. But since Abed was leaving in a week and Annie doesn't work for SHIELD, they couldn't care less.

A few minutes later the buffet table is exactly where James found them. 

"Hey! You guys are looking good." James said with a smirk.

"Hey to you too." Annie replied, her mouth stuffed with tiny food.

"You know this is just one buffet table right?" James raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Abed asked with a tilt of his head.

James shrugged, "I just thought you guys would be interested to know that SHIELD has been practicing inclusivity lately and decided to serve muli-cultural cuisine." He pointed to the other buffet table a few feet away, "That one serves Italian food. The other one serves Chinese and I think the one near the front is Indian." 

The other two slowly widened their eyes and looked at each other with a solemn expression. Abed gave Annie a serious nod, "It needs to happen."

"Tiny food all over the world? It was never a question of if, but when." Annie replied with a challenging look. 

"If you'll excuse us James. We have a mission underway." Abed held out his arm, "Milady." She smiled and grabbed his arm. "Milord."

The two walked off leaving a supersoldier chuckling to himself. James feels young whenever he looks at his two friends. He's really going to miss Abed, but he was assured that with modern technology they can still hang out and have their regular movie nights just like now.

He knew he shouldn't but he felt envious of their easy bond. Even with the impending move Annie hadn't wavered at all, sticking by his side like glue. In their time together James came to like her too. She's good for him.

Even from across the room James spied Abed feeding Annie a small fried ball from over the middle eastern table. Cute. 

Something else caught his eye, a crowd of SHIELD employees surrounded a blonde head that towered over everyone else. James snorted as Steve tried and failed to escape their grasp. Shaking his head James swaggered forward to save his prey. Like a magnet Steve caught his eye and the blonde visibly gulped at the heat he found simmering beneath. 

"Excuse me." James drawled and everyone paused to look over.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I would like to ask Captain America for a dance." James said with a smirk as someone swooned. 

Steve gaped and flushed red when everyone turned their heads for his response. "I-- Yes." 

James held out a hand and Steve took it, allowing himself to be led away from the crowd and into the dance floor. 

"J- James." Steve stuttered, feeling the burning eyes of a hundred SHIELD employees watching their every move. 

James simply grasped his hips and pulled him flush against him. Steve's enhanced hearing picked up on a few dozen gasps as he automatically held onto James's shoulders. He was stiff as a board and the stares were not helping. James leaned forward and Steve felt his breath hitch as lips grazed his earlobe. 

"What did I tell you Steve?" James whispered and Steve felt a shudder run down his spine. 

"Close your eyes... And relax."

Steve did as requested and slowly started to sway with the music. Like in that day at the bar, the world fell away around them, no one else existed but them. In this speck of earth no one else mattered but this man in his arms.

"It's just us Steve, think of me, and only me."

Steve hasn't thought of anyone else, even stuck in the ice he can only think about this man, his best friend, his partner.

"I love you." He blurted out. 

The hands on his hips tightened to the point of bruising, he could feel James tensing under his fingertips. 

"I love you too Steve."

Steve felt relief surge through every fiber of his being. He sagged into James's embrace and buried his face into his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> Tell me how you think so far :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (●´⌓`●) unbetaed.
> 
> Warning: Hurt and Comfort

"What do you think about this one?" Annie asks, holding up a toothpick with a cube of lasagne attached to Abed's lips and he took the offered bite.

"Tangy, the sauce is good but the pasta is too tough, not enough to be bad but it's acceptable." He said after a few seconds of assessment, they were steadily going through the Italian table after they've done the American, Middle Eastern and Chinese tables. They still have a few more to go before Abed can safely say their tasting mission is complete. 

Annie helps herself to some small cuts of pizza that had different toppings. She'd been doing a lot of thinking lately, and it feels like this whole buffet adventure is just a silly reason to extend the conversation she had planned on having with Abed. The talk was inevitable, she knows, but the prospect of talking to Abed about his move is rather daunting.

"Abed--" She starts to say.

_BOOM_

A loud sound reverberated in the room followed immediately by severe tremors that rocked the very foundations of the building. Abed immediately steadied Annie with his hands on her hips when she teetered on her high heels. They could tell something was wrong when the first shots rang out in the air.

They shared a split second glance before unanimously uppending the table towards the general direction of the function hall, causing all the tiny food and plates to fall on the ground in small clangs drowned out by the much louder shots and screams of the agents. Thanking whichever designer that placed the buffet tables near the walls, they both dove behind the table for cover. 

Annie peaked over the table and she could see bodies flying as James and Steve fought the assailants back to back, she stared in awe as they weaved among the agents and each other like a choreographed dance. A flash of red caught her eye as Natasha incapacitated a Hydra agent with a swift elbow to the face and a kicked to the stomach. A bullet hitting the wall mere feet from their heads had her ducking back for cover. 

The shots pounded against Abed's ear, causing him to flinch badly in shock. It was getting too much, the commotion was too sudden, too abrupt and it was messing with his head. He stared at the granite tiled floor, the noise turning to flat ringing in his ears. 

Abed felt like he was underwater, floating in nothingness as his mind shuts down to cope with what's happening.

_Abed_

_Abed_

_Han_

"Han!"

Abed sharply inhales like he'd just broken the surface of water. He's panting as he turns to look at Annie with eyes wild.

"I need you to focus Han, we can't stand to lose this fight." She states with a shake of his shoulders.

Abed nods shakily, "Understood." He manages to choke out, heart still racing but finding comfort in the role of a rogue.

There's a sound of glass breaking underfoot and Annie quickly grabs a porcelain plate and throws with all the force that she can muster just as a Hydra agent rounds the table gun cocked at ready. The plate hits the agent square in the face and shatters on impact. 

Before Abed can even react Annie had already pounced. It barely took three seconds before Annie had her legs wrapped around his arm and neck and twisting hard, perfectly replicating the move Natasha had taught her, and the Hydra goon was down for the count. 

"I think you just dislocated his arm." Abed said blankly.

Annie was breathing harshly, adrenaline pumping through her veins and she grabbed hold of the fallen Hydra gun. She hastily grabbed the hem of her ruined dress and with a quick tear had split her dress right up to her thighs for more mobility. 

This isn't paintball anymore, Annie thought grimly with her teeth clench so tight it hurt, this is life or death.

Annie gives Abed a nod and he swiftly inspects the unconscious agent. He grabs hold of a pistol strapped on the man's thigh. Abed doesn't know how to properly use it, but he hopes he won't need to.

"We need to escape!" Annie shouted over the noise as another shot hit the wall a few feet above their heads. "This place is too dangerous."

"That exit there is our best bet." Abed said with a cock of his head and Annie takes a second to look at the exit. There were a lot of Hydra agents still pouring in from the windows but half of the Avengers is in attendance so she's not worried as much as she should. The backdoor itself had a scarce amount of agents, less than a handful, more were concentrated on the main doors of the ballroom and Annie felt confident she can take them on.

"Yeah, let's do it." She said. 

Abed nods and they wait for a distraction, it didn't take long before a charged reactor beam pulses across the room, incapacitating dozens of Hydra agents. 

"Now!" Annie shouts and they both vault over the table. 

The Hydra agents weren't looking at them at all as they were too busy trying to shoot down Ironman. One agent noticed their approached and turned to aim his weapon at their approaching figures but it was too late, Annie was ready. 

Annie shot low and with adrenaline flowing through her veins it was like an action scene with slow-motion. She watched as the bullet easily passed through the Hydra agent's thigh and out the other end. He fell down with a choked cry and they continued to run past.

By now other Hydra agents have noticed their approach and Annie didn't spend any more time thinking.

She just fired. 

Two more agents had fallen, one Hydra agent already had his gun cocked and ready as the others went down. Annie felt her breath hitch as the agent moves to press the trigger. 

A large body slammed against the Hydra agent with enough force to send him flying over the tables and hit the far wall knocking him out cold. 

James gives them a small nod before running back into the fray. Annie let exhaled with relief and felt Abed grabbing her hand to urge her forward in motion again. They sprinted the rest of the way unimpeded to the backdoor. 

Without looking back they burst through and after a few corners Abed pulled her into a slightly open linen closet. It was musty and dark but the layers of cloth would serve as a good sound insulation.

They both collapsed on the floor, "Are you okay?" Abed asked between gulps of air.

"Yeah." She replied in a high-pitched voice and couldn't control the giggle that passed through her lips. The adrenaline high was making her giggle uncontrollably and she can't stop no matter how hard she tries.

"I-- I-- hahaha-" She hiccupped as moisture started to gather in her eyes. 

"I-- _ahh_ " Her lip trembled as she struggled to breath. 

Tears spilled over her cheeks when realization finally hit, "I shot someone." She whispered.

Her training with the FBI had prepared her for this, but not to this extent, she has never shot anyone before. The paper targets are nothimg compared to a real live human being. 

It's not the first time she'd seen a bullet pierce through flesh, she had seen it happen multiple times when partnered with older agents on the field. Annie would always have her hand ready on her pistol and she had sometimes even aimed her gun at assailants, she's always vigilant but have never once used it on the field.

Abed slowly pulled her towards him in the cramped space. He carefully holds her, his warmth spreading to her form as she melts into his arms with a puddle of tears. He slowly rocks her back and forth and hummed a low tune against her ear as she continued to bawl like a baby on his chest. 

She doesn't care if her tears had ruined his suit, doesn't care if her dress got ruined. Not when Annie may have killed someone.

They stayed in the linen closet for who knows how long. Annie had exhausted herself sobbing and was now just sniffling against his chest while Abed ran his fingers through her hair. 

The door opened in a sudden burst and slammed against the storage wall. Abed scrambled for his pistol and aimed his gun as Annie flinched back away from the entrance. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tony said with a mechanical whir in his suit as Jarvis took a quick scan of their bodies for any injuries. "Bullets tend to ricochet off my armor."

They both sagged in relief after they were informed that the battle was over and the Hydra agents have been rounded up. They were swiftly herded outside of the linen closet towards the SHIELD medics for their small cuts and bruises. Nothing was broken and they weren't gravely injured so they were quickly discharged. 

The speed of which they all operated was giving Annie a whiplash, and she could see above the heads of the other agents in the parking lot the commanding presence of Captain America. Steve was barking orders to a few SHIELD agents. She couldn't hear a thing but he was pointing towards the building and to the medics. Annie had never seen his face so serious before and yet somehow she felt a sliver of relief at the sight.

Abed noticed the red and gold figure of Ironman flying in and out of the building with stragglers in his grip before safely depositing their shaken forms to the SHIELD medics and going back inside agaim. 

"Abed." He turned to the sound of her small voice, she stared back, her blue eyes bloodshot from crying, "Take me home." Abed nodded and complied without another word.

He drove them back to her apartment. On the way there Abed tried to hide as much of his shaking as possible, it wouldn't do them any good if they're both nervous wrecks. He can't help but blame himself for what happened tonight, maybe if he hadn't invited her to the party she wouldn't be near catatonic right now in the front seat of his car. 

Abed could hear her taking deep hitching breaths, his knowledge of movies usually end with paramedics saying the character is still in a state of shock and needed to rest, which isn't much help right now.

He really doesn't like seeing her upset. 

His hands tightened into white grips on the steering wheel. Abed felt compelled to call himself stupid for putting her in this dangerous situation. Logically, Abed knew he shouldn't be to blame, no one can predict HYDRA would plan an attack on a SHIELD party, but right now he's not in his right mind to think logically.

Abed doesn't know what to do. He thought of taking on a role again, but it would only be a placeholder for his nerves, and Annie doesn't need a fictional character right now. He holds her hand as they walk up the steps to her apartment.

He watches her carefully as she shakily unlocks her door. Is it the adrenaline? It's likely she's going to crash soon after all the things that happened tonight. Abed follows her in and fidgets by the door next to Annie.

She bites her lip and clenched her fists before turning his way, his eyes meet hers, blue and bright like the sky and now moist with a layer of unshed tears. 

"Please... Stay?" She whispered and he almost sagged in relief, every cell screaming to stay now silenced as he nods. Abed opened his arms and Annie practically dived, her arms wrapping around his waist and he tucks her under his chin.

They stand there in total silence, taking what little comfort they can have in each other's presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the action is easy to understand.
> 
> Also updated the tags.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a thought I had and I wanted to read more of this crossover.


End file.
